An informative guide to understanding the situation in Palestine. I do not claim ownership of any multimedia referenced in this book-- attribution and sources provided as always.
Astoria E Greene
It is day 128 of the siege on the Gaza Strip. 128 days of genocide. 128 days of Palestinians sharing their most vulnerable moments to the world, begging for humanity to hear them, and 128 days of proudly broadcasted war crimes by the Israeli army, and 128 days of gaslighting , neglect and complicity by Western leaders and media outlets.
As of Sunday, February 11, the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 28,000 persons killed, and more than 67,600 severely wounded. Palestinian civilians have been instructed by the Israeli army to evacuate south since the beginnings of the war on Gaza. First, to Khan Younis, which was later called for evacuation before being heavily bombarded , and later to the city of Rafah, the southern-most point in the Gaza Strip.
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1.4 million persons are corralled into the city of Rafah, and it is now facing heavy bombardment by the Israeli army despite the city being designated as a safe zone. There is nowhere for Palestinian civilians to go beyond Rafah. There is no safe place in Gaza.
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(above) Screen-capture of footage showing the aftermath of the bombing on Refugee tents in Rafah. Captured by Palestinian Journalist Hani Alshaer. 11 February 2024. Instagram @hani.alshaer
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Twelve days ago, a six year old little girl named Hind Rajab called an emergency line when she became trapped in a van which had been targeted by Israeli tanks. The child's terrified call was recorded and shared on social media, her words : "Come take me. I'm so scared. Please come."
The audio will be linked at this comment. Please listen.
Hind was stranded in the car with the decomposing bodies of her five family members for two weeks.
The Red Crescent aid workers coordinated with Israeli army to make a plan to rescue Hind, which the IDF agreed to. Despite having been granted clearance to approach the vehicle which Hind was trapped inside, Israeli forces opened fire on the ambulance, killing the two paramedics sent to save her. Their names were Yousuf Al-Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoun.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society released these images of what remained of the ambulance sent to rescue young Hind, in addition to video footage exploring the vehicle in which Hind spent her final moments. The ambulance was only a few meters away from Hind's family's car when it was targeted.
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From the Washington Post — "Qawwas told the Washington Post that the little girl had repeatedly told her mother "I miss you" as they spoke. Her mother promised she would soon see her and hug her. They talked about the sea, the sun, and her favorite chocolate cake. As the Red Crescent staff listened, Hind told her mother her hand was bleeding and there was blood on her body. She said she was hungry, thirsty, and cold. They felt she was fading away. "Come and get me" were the last words she spoke.
Ceasefire now. Free Palestine.
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(Above) Screenshot from X user @Khadljasays. Original artwork by @ Khadija.Draws [Posted 10 February 2024]
Written by Astoria E Greene.
12 February 2024
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Sources
Alsaafin, Linah, and Usaid Siddiqui. "Un Chief: 'no Homes, No Hope' for Palestinians in Rafah as Invasion Looms." Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 11 Feb. 2024, www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/10/israels-war-on-gaza-live-death-toll-nears-28000-as-rafah-assault-looms#:~:text=The%20death%20toll%20in%20the,more%20than%2067%2C600%20Palestinians%20wounded.
Da Silva, Chantal. "Hind Rajab: Gaza Mother Mourns Girl, 6, Found Dead after Being Trapped under Israeli Fire." NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 11 Feb. 2024, www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hind-rajab-gaza-girl-6-found-dead-trapped-israeli-fire-rcna138263.
Richards, Victoria. "The Killing of Six-Year-Old Hind Rajab in Gaza Shames Us All | Victoria Richards." The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 12 Feb. 2024, www.independent.co.uk/voices/hind-rajab-death-six-year-old-girl-gaza-israel-b2494630.html.
